


Sometimes You Just Gotta Do The Thing Because It Actually Helps

by InfiniteInMystery



Series: 2019's GinZura Week [1]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gintoki Needs Some Love, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 14:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18994510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteInMystery/pseuds/InfiniteInMystery
Summary: Little Katsura was taught something important by Shouyou, something that stuck even ten years later.





	Sometimes You Just Gotta Do The Thing Because It Actually Helps

**Author's Note:**

> GinZura Week, Day one:  
> Promise/School/Future

“Why does he do that?” Little Katsura asked, standing in the open doorway to Shouka Sonjuku right beside Shouyou. His hands were hidden in his sleeves so Sensei would know he was keeping his sticky fingers at bay. “He goes out there every other week. Why?”

It was later in the evening, the setting sun casting hues of oranges and reds in the sky, the last rays of sunshine before a brand new day. On the little hill with the sakura tree, Gintoki sat with his back to the school, casting shadows behind him like he was in a whole other world. He was out there with that sword he refused to part with, had been out there for almost an hour if Katsura remembered correctly. Autumn was a nice season to sit outside, but it wasn't _that_ nice. This was a habit, Katsura had noticed, something Gintoki did frequently that didn't make any sense.

Beside him, Shouyou only huffed a little laugh. “Sometimes,” he said, his voice mystical with riddle, “you need to wake up tomorrow without the burdens of today.”

Katsura considered his teacher's words, considered what they could mean. He thought on it only for a minute, his eyes glued to Gintoki's back, before turning Shouyou's way with his face scrunched up. “What does that mean?”

Shouyou glanced over, smiling so bright his eyes cinched shut. He was teaching Katsura something here, but Katsura couldn't figure out what it was yet. “Why don't you go ask?”

Katsura didn't hesitate. It didn't take much to prompt him into moving forward. He never shied away from confronting people or asking the hard questions, was always ready to do what needed to be done. He briskly walked up the hill with Sensei's words on his mind, circling Gintoki's rigid posture to stand right in front of him. The question stuck on his lips when he caught sight of Gintoki's face. Gintoki looked away from him towards the grass, cheeks and lashes wet.

“Why are you crying?” Katsura asked, moving in closer and then sitting down before him, their knees almost touching. He suddenly realized that Sensei had known Gintoki was out here in tears. “Do you always cry when you come out here?”

“No.” Gintoki said defiantly, still looking away. He was obviously lying.

Katsura tilted his head. Indifferent to the grass stains he would surely get, Katsura shifted closer to Gintoki without getting up, settling beside him on the cold grass to watch the sunset too. Gintoki didn't say anything or even look at him, but Katsura could see that the tears were still flowing silently down his cheeks. Moved a smidge closer so that their legs were touching.

“Don't you know that your burdens go away when you cry on someone else's shoulder?” Katsura asked, leaning over to get a better view of Gintoki's wretched face. “Did no one ever tell you that?”

Gintoki glanced to him then, eyes just as red-rimmed as his irises, his face scrunched up in confusion. “What?” He asked, his tone incredulous.

“Yeah, stupid.” Katsura said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why are you out here crying by yourself when it's more effective to cry with someone who cares? Come here.” Katsura reached his arms out, one hand landing in Gintoki's bouncy white hair, the other on his shoulder. He pulled the shocked kid into him, Gintoki's face pressed into Katsura's neck. Katsura gave his back a reassuring pat, fighting off what he thought was an inappropriate smile when Gintoki deflated into him.

Gintoki quietly sobbed.

“See?” Katsura asked a few minutes later, after his shoulder was soaking wet and Gintoki's sobs had ceased. “You feel better after crying on other people's shoulders. This is just how it is.”

“You're stupid.” Gintoki said, his voice low and raspy. “You made that up.”

“I'm not stupid, I'm Katsura.” Katsura said. “And no, I didn't. You know what? You told me you'd be my general, so I'm telling you I'll be your shoulder to cry on.”

“What?” Gintoki asked, sitting up again, incredulity in his voice again. “Why?”

Why? Katsura had no words to explain the chill passing through his chest at the sight of tears in Gintoki's eyes. He didn't _know_ why, he just needed it to be like this. “Promise me?”

“Promise you what?” Gintoki asked, the hints of embarrassment dusting high on his cheeks. “That I'll come cry on your shoulder when I need to? What am I? A damsel in distress?”

“Yeah.” Katsura said, holding out his hand, pinky up and grinning wide. “Pinky promise me, you loser. Now and when we're old geezers, you'll cry on my shoulder when you need to so tomorrow you can feel better.”

Gintoki huffed, but lifted his hand anyway, pinky curling around Katsura's timidly. “Then I'll be your general until the day you finally don't look like a girl.”

Katsura rolled his eyes. “I don't look like a _girl_ , I'm Katsura.” But he smiled bright, wide eyes on their locked fingers.

 

–

 

It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since the Kintama debacle, but Katsura was already skulking through the streets like the criminal he was, slinking through the shadows and down alleys to Yorozuya. He had a feeling. A little heavy pit in his stomach, the previous day's events gnawing on the back of his mind.

Things like _that_ got to Gintoki. Things like that couldn't just be brushed off.

The sun was setting as he emerged into the street he had been seeking, his gaze turning upward as he approached Snack Otose. Blinding white hair caught Katsura's attention from the roof, half of Gintoki's sprawled out figure disappearing from view the closer Katsura got. _What is that idiot doing?_

It didn't take much. Scaling buildings was just as easy as escaping the Shinsengumi holding cells, so Katsura was on Gintoki's roof in less than a minute. With his hands hidden in his sleeves, he casually walked over to Gintoki's lax figure, sitting down beside him, ignoring the chill in his chest. Gintoki had his hands behind his head, a leg thrown over one knee. Could have passed as casually dozing if it weren't for the tired bags under his eyes and the strain in the corner of his mouth. His eyes were half-lidded, the orange hues in the sky reflecting in his irises.

“What are you doing here?” Gintoki asked after a moment, his voice as normal as ever. “You're trouble.”

Katsura laughed gently as Gintoki sat up slowly, hands in his lap, not glancing Katsura's way. “I'm not trouble, I'm Katsura.”

“It's the same damn thing.” Gintoki said, huffing as he sat forward cross-legged, their legs brushing gently. Gintoki fell silent then, lips pulled taught and eyes crinkling ever so slightly in the corner.

Katsura simply tried to meet his eyes, scooting a little bit closer, slotting himself into Gintoki's side. Gintoki turned his way, eyes still downcast. He didn't say anything as he leaned over, hiding his face into Katsura's shoulder, silence accompanying the damp patch forming in Katsura's yukata. He didn't cling or sob, just pressed his face into the crook of Katsura's neck.

Katsura's fingers slid into Gintoki's hair, scrunching through the soft curly locks, his other hand rubbing Gintoki's knee. He leaned his head against Gintoki's, nuzzling him gently before turning his eyes to the sky. Gintoki didn't need to say anything, didn't need to explain himself, and Katsura didn't need to tell him everything would be alright.

Sometimes, you need to wake up tomorrow without the burdens of today.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, a note on Zura's 'sticky fingers' comment in the beginning. He probably had to do his fair share of stealing as a poor little street kid and the need to swipe things probably became a habit. I figure Shouyou got him to stop compulsively doing this by telling him to keep his hands in his sleeves, another habit that stuck. ;)


End file.
